


Of Ashes and Rime

by kamikaze43v3r



Series: Fire and Ice [2]
Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, M/M, Mortal Kombat 11, Pre-Slash, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 13:27:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29792583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamikaze43v3r/pseuds/kamikaze43v3r
Summary: "He is dead."The words hit him like a ton of bricks.Kuai Liang blanks out momentarily, looking over Scorpion with mixed emotions.But Sub-Zero has faced tragedies before. This is not the first time. He is disciplined enough to quickly recover. Scorpion stares back at him with white, soulless eyes. This is the past wraith and not the resurrected Hanzo Hasashi.That man is now dead.
Relationships: Hanzo Hasashi | Scorpion/Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero, Scorpion/Sub-Zero
Series: Fire and Ice [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2189868
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	Of Ashes and Rime

**Author's Note:**

> Somewhat a sequel to 'Of Fire and Ice' but can be read on its own. Just something covering Kuai Liang's loss of Hanzo. Wish the game covered it a little more...

"He is dead."

The words hit him like a ton of bricks.

Kuai Liang blanks out momentarily, looking over Scorpion with mixed emotions.

But Sub-Zero has faced tragedies before. This is not the first time. He is disciplined enough to quickly recover. Scorpion stares back at him with white, soulless eyes. This is the past wraith and not the resurrected Hanzo Hasashi. 

That man is now dead. 

Kuai Liang says, masking the pain and bitterness as much as he can, "And now you've come to finish us?" 

Whatever response that comes out of the wraith’s mouth, Kuai Liang doesn’t hear. Not when his ears are ringing from the crackling of his broken frosted heart. 

_ Hanzo is dead. _

Those words keep repeating in his head.

Dead, dead, dead.

No, Kuai Liang tries to assure himself. He is still alive, standing right in front of him.

But this Scorpion is not the same. He doesn’t have the memories of their alliance, their friendship, and the changes that Kuai Liang had observed and grown to trust and love. The one before him is a spirit of vengeance, a mindless agent of rage.

Kuai Liang readies himself in a stance, forcing his breathing to stay steady. Scorpion says he is here to assist them, but Kuai Liang is having none of it. 

He will avenge Hanzo. His ally. His friend. His equal.

Sub-Zero fights, eager to vent out his anger and pain. Trying to freeze the hellspawn and shatter the illusion of what used to be Hanzo. Yet, Scorpion bested him, throwing him onto his back. Kuai Liang wants to blame his defeat on his vulnerable state. His emotions are in turmoil, and it has been taking all of himself not to yell out in anguish.

“You misunderstand my intentions,” Scorpion insists. His soulless white eyes no longer look as soulless. Kuai Liang wants to understand, but he is hurting far too much.

It becomes messy when Liu Kang returns with Raiden. Scorpion continues to maintain his insistence in providing aid, but Raiden had been incensed.

Even so, Kuai Liang listens this time. He hears Scorpion admit his remorse in killing Bi-Han, something he’s heard Hanzo express before. The confession blossoms hope in him. This Scorpion… isn’t the same vengeful wraith that Sub-Zero fought before. This one seems to have some sense of himself.

He tries to defend Scorpion from Raiden’s wrath but he’s still reeling from his fight with Scorpion. He watches as Raiden blasts Scorpion away with his lightning. Thankfully, Liu Kang takes the demigod’s attention instead, and Kuai Liang moves over to the fallen wraith.

“Scorpion. Are you truly free of your rage?” he asks, forcing himself to withhold his hand from offering help.

The white-eyed man looks straight into his eyes.

“There is still much anger in me… But I will learn to let go. My future self told me the truth and advised me… It will take time for the wrathful flames to be fully extinguished,” Scorpion replies. His tone is sincere and his gaze does not waver. Kuai Liang thinks it is good enough.

He helps Scorpion to his feet as Raiden and Liu Kang finally conclude their argument.

Kuai Liang catches wind of their final words about timelines and Kronika’s role in them. Raiden approaches them both and apologises to Scorpion, even healing the wound he inflicted upon the man himself.

Meanwhile, Kuai Liang ponders on what was said.

Timelines.

In another timeline, would Hanzo still die? Or will he still be alive? What of his family? And what about the both of them? Will they still be enemies, or will they turn out as allies, maybe more?

Kuai Liang’s heart aches. He cannot bring himself to look at Scorpion thinking of Hanzo’s death yet again.

To think he left Hanzo by himself in the Netherrealm. How could he have done so?

But as fate would have it, they have no time to rest.

In a blink of an eye, Liu Kang suddenly disappears and Raiden looks grim. Kronika has taken him. Raiden rallies those who have gathered at the Fire Gardens - Hanzo’s  _ home _ \- and directs them to ready themselves for war in Kronika’s Isle.

\-------

The others have left to gather their warriors. Kuai Liang remains in the Fire Gardens with Scorpion, who is still looking around in disbelief at the rebuilt estate.

Kuai Liang doesn’t know what to say. He himself is having difficulty catching up with the events that kept happening one after another. 

Hanzo is dead.

How can he be? Hanzo Hasashi is a powerful warrior, with powers of hellfire and skills of a shinobi grandmaster. Yet, he is gone. Dead.

Kuai Liang had returned to the Netherrealm with Scorpion, guided by the latter to where Hanzo died.

“By D’Vorah’s poison,” Scorpion had told him. It seemed almost ridiculous at this point. Hanzo, to be felled by poison of all things. Kuai Liang wishes he could laugh, but all he can manage is a grimace.

Hanzo was buried under the stones by the Sea of Blood. He’d seen the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster’s kunai on top of the mound and Kuai Liang had almost gone on to dig the man out of the earth himself.

But he shouldn’t and had stopped himself from doing so. He knows Scorpion is telling the truth. He is only making it worse for himself now.

They returned to the Fire Gardens, and Kuai Liang had excused himself without a word. Scorpion said nothing either, having chosen to walk through the rebuilt gardens that he once thought was forever gone.

Scorpion later finds him in the main hall, the same place where Kuai Liang had spent the night with Hanzo. Kuai Liang is seated in the middle of the large space, facing away from the door with his head bowed slightly. He appears to be in mediation. Or rather, mourning.

“Sub-Zero.”

Kuai Liang stiffens at the familiar voice. He tries not to show it. The momentary silence between them is thick and loaded with many unspoken questions.

“Have you had a look at the Fire Gardens?” Kuai Liang asks the other instead. His voice cracks ever so slightly.

“...Yes. It is indeed rebuilt, just as my future self had said,” Scorpion says.

“The Lin Kuei I’ve reformed has helped the Shirai Ryu rebuild itself. Even now, with Grandmaster Hasashi gone, the offer of aid and alliance still stands,” Kuai Liang continues.

Scorpion enters the hall finally, getting closer to Kuai Liang’s space. It is clear that Lin Kuei leader is not comfortable with Scorpion’s presence, but he is doing a good job masking it.

“Sub-Zero… No - If I remember right, your name is Kuai Liang. You have my thanks,” Scorpion tells him. Kuai Liang remains unmoved from his position, back still facing the entrance.

“Grandmaster Hasashi and the Shirai Ryu are allies with the Lin Kuei. It is enough thanks that we are no longer against each other,” Kuai Liang replies gruffly.

Another loaded silence ensues. Eventually, it is Scorpion who breaks the tension.

“If the death of my future self brings about such great sorrow upon the Sub-Zero I know, then it goes to show that things will indeed be better for us. I have seen the truth, that my future self was freed from rage and became human once more, and the Fire Gardens stand once again. I cannot bring back the Hanzo Hasashi you know, but I will strive to be the same one that you can trust and depend on.”

Kuai Liang clenches his fist, unsure how to even respond to that. The loss of  _ his _ Hanzo still stings, but perhaps all is not lost. Scorpion is Hanzo, just the past version of him. They may not have whatever it is that they had before… but it does not mean that Kuai Liang should not show him the same respect he had for him. 

The Lin Kuei Grandmaster finally stands and turns to face Scorpion, his expression neutral. He steps forward and clasps his fist in his hand and bows, giving the other a formal salute of the Lin Kuei. Scorpion, while startled, quickly reciprocates the salute, putting his right fist over his chest and bows as well.

While they may have had a rocky start, this time, they will have a new beginning.

Kuai Liang will avenge Hanzo. D’Vorah and Kronika will pay.

\-------

Scorpion and Sub-Zero later join Earthrealm forces on Kharon’s ships. They sail across the Sea of Blood, only to encounter Kronika’s battleship. They have expected a pushback on their advance, and they are now ready to fight.

The Cyber Lin Kuei descends upon Kharon’s ship under Frost’s orders.

Kuai Liang makes work of them easily, freezing them and stripping them of their limbs and parts. Scorpion fights beside him, and surprisingly, both of them work well together, as if they’ve done so before. Perhaps this Scorpion has memories of their time as Revenants as well?

Regardless, Kuai Liang keeps himself from being distracted. Raiden assists them, even taking out Frost and shutting down the network of the Cyber Lin Kuei she is connected to. The counterattack is stopped for now, until Liu Kang’s Revenant appears.

He confronts Raiden while the others watch.

This has been the battle they’ve been anticipating, between the demigod and the corrupted chosen one.

It ends with Liu Kang becoming the God of Fire and Thunder, something truly unexpected. The new god leads them against Kronika’s forces and their advance overwhelms the other side.

Kuai Liang continues to fight by Scorpion’s side as they step upon Kronika’s Isle. Sub-Zero brings the wrath of winter upon their enemies, while Scorpion sets them ablaze with pillars of fire.

Fire and ice, together again.

The number of Kronika’s forces eventually dwindles as Earthrealm’s warriors continue to siege further into the Titan’s Keep. The gunshots and blasts from Cassandra Cage and Jacquiline Briggs’ soldiers continue to tear through the air. Kitana Kahn’s Shokan and Tarkatan warriors fight alongside Shaolin Monks and it is a strange sight to see.

Kuai Liang takes a quick breather and lets the others take over. The end to this war appears promising, and it is all left to Liu Kang, Kung Lao and Kitana who have gone ahead to confront Kronika. The rest of them have to stand their ground here and it looks like it wouldn’t be long before they come out as the victor.

Before he realises, Kuai Liang finds his gaze settling on the figure clad in black and yellow, surrounded by hellfire. Maybe, once this is all over, Kuai Liang can help Scorpion assimilate back to his home. He may still be a wraith made by Quan Chi, but he isn’t a slave to his rage anymore. Maybe, he can indeed become the Grandmaster Hasashi, and his Hanzo will return.

Kuai Liang forces his eyes away.

He will protect this Hanzo without fail. Regret aches in his chest but Kuai Liang reinforces the frost encasing his heart. While he may still love the now deceased Hanzo… he promises himself to watch over Scorpion this time. He yet owes the Shirai Ryu another debt.

“Again and always,” he remembers Hanzo saying.

Yes, Kuai Liang thinks. If there are indeed other timelines as they've learned before, then they will meet again.


End file.
